He fell off a cliff but unexpectedly gained a cultivation inheritance.

Passing through the exquisite courtyard, the bluestone path underfoot became increasingly smooth, and the vegetation on both sides gradually changed, no longer the ordinary precious flowers and trees, but several spiritual plants exuding a faint spiritual energy. The leaves shimmered with a lustrous sheen under the lamplight, and the concentration of spiritual energy in the air was several times richer than in the front courtyard. Inhaling it into his lungs, Zhang Bufan's internal energy vortex couldn't help but stir slightly.

"Zhang Bufan, do you know that the entire Qingyun Mountain we are standing on is the private property of the Ye family?" Ye Zhentian walked ahead with steady steps, leading the way as he spoke slowly, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible pride. "The main peak of this mountain is over 800 meters high, and its circumference is more than 30 kilometers. The continuous mountain ranges envelop the entire Ye family manor, forming a natural barrier."

Zhang Bufan's heart stirred slightly, and his gaze unconsciously drifted to the distant mountain silhouettes. Night deepened, and the mountain shadows became hazy, but with the keen senses of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he could clearly perceive the majestic grandeur of the mountain range, subtly forming a natural aura of gathering energy. "Uncle Ye, a mountain range of such scale as private property is truly rare in the mortal world," he sincerely exclaimed.

"This is the foundation built by our ancestors generation after generation," Ye Zhentian said with emotion, his steps not stopping. "However, what truly allowed the Ye family to establish itself here and develop into a renowned cultivation family in the Southern Province is not the terrain of this mountain range, but a medium-sized spiritual vein hidden below the main peak. The manor we are currently in is built right above the spiritual vein, and with the nourishment of the spiritual energy emanating from it, the cultivation of our family members can be twice as effective."

"A medium-sized spiritual vein?" Zhang Bufan's pupils contracted slightly, a ripple of emotion stirring within him. He had witnessed the abundant spiritual energy in the Xuanqing Secret Realm and knew the importance of spiritual veins to cultivation families. In the Pangu World, where spiritual energy was becoming increasingly scarce, a medium-sized spiritual vein was enough to support a cultivation family's lineage for thousands of years. No wonder the Ye family was able to establish itself in the Southern Province and even possess such substantial wealth in the secular world.

Ye Qingxue walked beside Zhang Bufan, gently taking his arm, and added, "Bufan, this spiritual vein is the foundation of our Ye family. The family's core cultivation area, the Scripture Pavilion, and the ancestor's secluded cultivation place are all built in the place where the spiritual energy of the vein is most abundant. However..." She paused, with a hint of regret, "This spiritual vein has nourished the Ye family for thousands of years, and after so many years of consumption, its spiritual energy has gradually become depleted."

A hint of helplessness flashed across Ye Zhentian's face as he nodded in agreement, saying, "Qingxue is right. At its peak, this spiritual vein was as rich in spiritual energy as some small secret realms, enough to support multiple Core Formation cultivators cultivating simultaneously. But as time has passed, coupled with the depletion of spiritual energy by generations of family members, the spiritual vein's energy has become increasingly thin. Now, it can barely maintain our ancestor's early Core Formation cultivation level; further advancement is simply impossible."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Bufan understood and slowly nodded, saying, "I understand. The spiritual energy density of the entire Pangu World is gradually declining, which is a general trend. Looking at the entire cultivation world, only those top sects with long-standing traditions and control of large-scale secret realms can possess sufficient spiritual energy for Nascent Soul ancestors to cultivate. It is already extremely difficult for the Ye family to survive to this day by relying on a depleted medium-sized spiritual vein."

He was telling the truth. Xuanqing Daoist's remaining memories recorded that in the ancient Pangu world, spiritual energy was abundant, and cultivators were everywhere. Nascent Soul cultivators were just ordinary experts, and Deity Transformation and Void Refinement cultivators were not uncommon. However, with the changing times, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was constantly being lost, and the difficulty of cultivation increased. Now, cultivators who can reach the Nascent Soul realm are extremely rare. Only top sects like the Huashan Immortal Sword Sect and the Wudang Tai Xuan Sect, with their control of large-scale secret realms and abundant resources, can cultivate Nascent Soul Ancestors.

Upon hearing this, Ye Zhentian's eyes flashed with approval: "It is truly rare for Fellow Daoist Zhang to have such insight. It seems that the Immortal Sword Sect's foundation is indeed well-deserved." He deliberately changed his form of address from "Zhang Bufan" to "Fellow Daoist Zhang," clearly treating Zhang Bufan as an equal fellow cultivator.

As the three talked, they passed through two heavily guarded gates and arrived at an even more ancient and imposing courtyard. This was the final courtyard of the Ye family ancestral home, and also the place with the most concentrated spiritual energy in the entire manor. The courtyard walls were higher and thicker than the previous ones, constructed of huge bluish-gray stones. The gaps between the stones were coated with a special mortar, and faint array patterns were faintly engraved on them, clearly indicating a simple defensive array.

Upon seeing Ye Zhentian, the two guards at the gate immediately bowed respectfully. Their auras were steady, clearly indicating they were both at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. Compared to the guards in the front courtyard, these two possessed a more refined aura, clearly belonging to the Ye family's elite forces. "Patriarch!" they called out in unison, their gazes briefly lingering on Zhang Bufan with a hint of wariness, but they remained silent.

Ye Zhentian nodded slightly and led Zhang Bufan and Ye Qingxue directly into the courtyard. The courtyard was extremely simple, with few plants, except for a few ancient pines in the corner, their branches and leaves lush and exuding a rich spiritual energy. In the center of the courtyard was a straight stone path leading to the main hall. On either side of the path stood two ancient stone lions, exquisitely carved and lifelike, each holding a stone ball in its mouth, from which a faint flow of spiritual energy emanated, clearly two low-level magical artifacts.

"The entrance to the ancestor's secluded cultivation chamber is inside the main living room of this house," Ye Zhentian said, pointing to the living room ahead, quickening his pace. The three of them soon arrived at the living room door. Ye Zhentian reached out and pushed open the heavy wooden door. With a creak, the ancient sound echoed in the quiet courtyard.

Stepping into the living room, Zhang Bufan glanced around and noticed that it was simpler and more rustic than the reception room in the front yard. There were no luxurious crystal chandeliers or priceless rosewood sofas, only a few simple wooden tables and chairs, neatly arranged. No calligraphy or paintings hung on the walls, except for a large landscape painting on the wall directly opposite the entrance.

The landscape painting is about three meters high and two meters wide. It depicts towering mountains shrouded in mist, with a waterfall cascading down from the mountains. The painting has a profound artistic conception and the brushwork is vigorous, clearly the work of a master. But what caught Zhang Bufan's attention even more was that the painting emitted a faint array of fluctuations, subtly connecting with the surrounding walls.

"This is the entrance mechanism to the secret chamber." Ye Zhentian walked to the landscape painting and gently pressed the lower right corner of the frame. With a soft "click," the landscape painting, which had been pressed against the wall, slowly moved forward half a foot, then slid to the left along the wall, revealing a smooth stone wall behind it. Immediately afterwards, the stone wall also began to move slowly, parting to both sides, finally revealing a dark opening two meters wide and three meters high.

The entrance to the cave was filled with a dense spiritual energy, several times more concentrated than that in the courtyard. Taking a breath made Zhang Bufan feel completely refreshed. He could clearly feel the spiritual energy continuously flowing out from the depths of the cave, indicating that the core area of ​​the spiritual vein was located deep within the secret chamber.

"Let's go. The Ancestor should have sensed our presence by now." Ye Zhentian took the lead and stepped into the cave entrance, turning to the two behind him and saying, "There's a downward-sloping tunnel inside, it's quite deep, watch your step."

Zhang Bufan, holding Ye Qingxue's hand, followed her into the cave entrance. As soon as they entered, a cool breeze greeted them, a stark contrast to the warmth outside. Looking up, they saw a straight, downward-sloping tunnel, about five meters high and three meters wide. The tunnel didn't feel oppressive. The walls were rough stone, unadorned, with only dim light bulbs every few meters from the ceiling, barely illuminating the path ahead.

Zhang Bufan used his spiritual power to probe the depths of the tunnel and discovered that it stretched straight downwards, seemingly without end. He spread his spiritual power for a full kilometer but still couldn't sense the tunnel's end. "This tunnel is actually over a kilometer long?" he thought to himself in amazement. The Ye family must have spent a tremendous amount of manpower and resources to build this tunnel leading to the core of the spiritual vein.

After walking only a few steps, Ye Zhentian turned to Wang Yuyan and Ye Qingfeng who were following behind him and said, "You two wait here. It's not advisable for too many people to approach the place where the Ancestor is in seclusion."

Wang Yuyan nodded and looked at Ye Qingxue with concern: "Qingxue, be careful. Call us anytime if anything happens." Ye Qingfeng also nodded, his gaze lingering on Zhang Bufan for a moment, but he didn't speak. He simply stepped back to the side of the cave entrance and waited with Wang Yuyan.

The three continued deeper into the tunnel. Being cultivators, their speed was extremely fast, three to four times that of ordinary people. Zhang Bufan walked while carefully observing the stone walls on either side of the tunnel. After walking about several hundred meters, he suddenly noticed some white, oval stones, about the size of eggs, embedded in the stone walls.

"These are... low-grade spirit stones that have exhausted their spiritual energy?" Zhang Bufan's heart stirred, and he stopped to carefully observe the stones. The texture and shape of these stones were exactly the same as the low-grade spirit stones he had seen in the Xuanqing Secret Realm, except that there was no fluctuation of spiritual energy, which was obviously the state after the spiritual energy was exhausted.

Seeing him stop, Ye Zhentian explained, "Fellow Daoist Zhang has a keen eye. These are all low-grade spirit stones from the outer perimeter of the spiritual veins, whose spiritual energy has been exhausted."

Zhang Bufan nodded slightly and continued walking forward. As they went deeper into the tunnel, the white spirit stones on the stone walls became increasingly dense. At first, they were scattered sparsely, but later there was one almost every few meters. However, most of the spirit stones had completely exhausted their spiritual energy and appeared grayish-white. Only a very few spirit stones still emitted a faint spiritual light, obviously retaining a trace of spiritual energy.

At the same time, the concentration of spiritual energy in the air was also constantly rising. After walking about two kilometers, the concentration of spiritual energy in the tunnel was comparable to that of the outer area of ​​the Xuanqing Secret Realm. When inhaled, the vortex of energy in his dantian began to operate automatically, frantically absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy. Zhang Bufan could clearly feel that although this spiritual energy was not as pure as that in the Xuanqing Secret Realm, it was more abundant and carried the warm and gentle aura unique to spiritual veins.

"This tunnel leads directly to the core area of ​​the spiritual vein. The deeper you go, the denser the spiritual energy becomes." Ye Zhentian's voice echoed in the tunnel. "The ancestor's secluded cultivation chamber was built at the very core of the spiritual vein, using the last of the spiritual vein's spiritual energy to maintain his cultivation."

Zhang Bufan secretly sighed, realizing how much effort the Ye family had put into protecting this spiritual vein. The fact that a depleted medium-sized spiritual vein could still nurture such a rich area of ​​spiritual energy was a testament to its former glory.

The three walked quickly forward, their footsteps and breathing the only sounds in the tunnel. After walking for about twenty minutes, a glimmer of light finally appeared ahead, and the end of the tunnel was in sight. At the end of the tunnel was a slightly larger space, about ten square meters in size. At the bottom of the space was a heavy stone door, carved from a single piece of black rock, with intricate array patterns carved on it, emitting a faint defensive aura.

On either side of the stone gate sat two middle-aged men, both dressed in black robes. Their faces bore a resemblance to Ye Zhentian, their expressions solemn and their demeanor composed. Upon seeing Ye Zhentian approach, they immediately opened their eyes, rose, bowed respectfully, and greeted him in unison, "Patriarch!"

Zhang Bufan sensed their cultivation levels and found that they were both at the early Foundation Establishment stage, their auras refined, clearly the result of years of cultivation. "These two are my cousins, Ye Zhenshan and Ye Zhenhai," Ye Zhentian introduced. "They are the core members of the family, responsible for protecting the ancestor's safety and responding to his needs at any time."

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Zhang." Ye Zhenshan and Ye Zhenhai cupped their hands in a respectful manner towards Zhang Bufan. They had already learned of Zhang Bufan's identity from Ye Zhentian, knowing that he was the personal disciple of Yue Buwei, the patriarch of the Immortal Sword Sect, and had the cultivation of the early Foundation Establishment stage. Naturally, they dared not be negligent in the slightest.

Zhang Bufan returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Greetings, fellow Daoists."

Just then, the heavy stone door suddenly opened with a loud rumble. Clearly, the Ye family patriarch inside had sensed their arrival. Ye Zhentian's face turned solemn as he said to Zhang Bufan and Ye Qingxue, "The patriarch has sensed us. Let's go in."

Zhang Bufan took a deep breath, suppressing his thoughts. He knew the real test was about to begin. Beyond the stone gate lay the secluded cultivation place of the Ye family patriarch, the key to determining his and Ye Qingxue's future. He tightened his grip on Ye Qingxue's hand, gave her a reassuring look, and then followed Ye Zhentian into the stone gate.

Upon entering the stone gate, an even denser spiritual energy rushed towards them, almost forming a tangible mist. Zhang Bufan's gaze swept across the room, revealing a vast secret chamber. The ceiling of the chamber was inlaid with numerous spirit stones radiating spiritual light, illuminating the entire chamber as if it were daytime. In the center of the chamber was a circular stone platform, upon which sat an elderly man with white hair, dressed in a white Daoist robe. His face was aged, yet his spirit was vigorous. His eyes were closed, and he exuded the powerful aura of someone in the early stages of Core Formation.

This old man must be Ye Dechang, the patriarch of the Ye family. Zhang Bufan was secretly on guard, not daring to be careless in the slightest. The strength of a Core Formation cultivator far surpasses that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator; even if the opponent was only at the early stage, he could easily crush him.

Ye Zhentian walked to the stone platform and bowed respectfully: "Grandpa, your grandson Ye Zhentian, along with Qingxue and Zhang Bufan, has come to pay our respects to you." Ye Qingxue also bowed: "Great-Grandpa."

Zhang Bufan also cupped his hands in greeting to the old man on the stone platform, speaking respectfully: "Junior Zhang Bufan pays respects to Ancestor Ye."

Ye Dechang slowly opened his eyes on the stone platform, his two sharp gazes falling on Zhang Bufan as if they were tangible. Zhang Bufan felt a sudden tightness throughout his body, as if he were being stared at by an ancient behemoth, a powerful pressure bearing down on him, making it difficult for him to breathe. He quickly circulated the "Mysterious Purity Dao Inquiry Technique," the qi vortex in his dantian rapidly rotating to resist this pressure, while calmly meeting Ye Dechang's gaze without flinching.

Ye Dechang scrutinized Zhang Bufan, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He could clearly sense that Zhang Bufan's spiritual energy was incredibly abundant, not much less than Ye Zhentian's at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and its circulation was extremely refined, clearly indicating that he was cultivating a top-tier technique. Moreover, facing the pressure of his early Core Formation stage cultivation, Zhang Bufan was able to remain calm; this composure far surpassed that of ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.

"You're Zhang Bufan?" Ye Dechang's voice was old and hoarse, yet carried an undeniable authority. "Qingxue said you're Yue Buwei's personal disciple from the Immortal Sword Sect, and you've even reached the early Foundation Establishment stage?"

"Reporting to Ancestor, this junior has indeed joined the Huashan Immortal Sword Sect and studied under Ancestor Yue Buwei. My current cultivation level is the early stage of Foundation Establishment," Zhang Bufan replied respectfully, his tone neither humble nor arrogant. He then took out his Immortal Sword Sect identity token and handed it to Ye Dechang.